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It’s been forty eight hours since Noi’s been free from her training armor entirely. A little bit more than that actually; nearing sixty one hours, forty two minutes, and some odd number of seconds. No way she’d count seconds, she’s not that invested.
She’s been sitting impatiently by their windowside table at En’s Mediocre Ramen Shop, bouncing her leg. Her thigh feels lighter than normal, almost like it’ll fly away without any armor holding it down, but what’s distracting her more is the empty chair across from her.
He was supposed to be here already. It isn’t that she’s angry, she doesn’t think she’s ever gotten angry at him— besides the time he drove his hammer to the back of her skull, or when he leaned back in his chair with an expression that screamed ‘gotcha’ as she emptied her wallet to pay for both of their meals.
Most of the time, she isn’t angry at him. The opposite, really. Shin looks at her like anybody else, when they’re seated slurping noodles together. He’s not trying to coax any favors out of her by spending his time with her.
There’s no underhanded, unspoken motives. He just likes to eat, and just so likes to do so sitting across from her.
She likes his long stories about Hole, and the embarrassed face he makes when he realizes that she’s actually paying attention. Noi only wishes he took a little longer to eat, because before she knows it, he’s wiping his mouth with his forearm, and out the door. To her dismay, it’s been a few times she’s choked on broth trying to catch up, but she likes the sound of his laughter, even if it’s at her.
The point is, Shin pisses her off sometimes, maybe, but she enjoys his company.
Which is why she’s starting to get pissed off when he’s still absent, nearing thirty minutes past their regular meeting time. Had they called it off, and she had just forgotten? Her head perks up each time the door chimes open, but it’s never him.
The waiter approaches again and asks if she’s ready, and as much as she’d like to hold out hope, the growling of her stomach is so loud it’s hard to ignore. Ordering two specialties, she justifies it by thinking she’s hungry enough to eat the second in spite, even if Shin does show up.
Noi folds her arms as she sinks down into her chair. She’s staring up at the ceiling now, tuning out the busy noise around her. She can’t expect Shin to show up every other day. Just because she has some time off, doesn’t mean he can just drop whatever he’s doing. He has a job now. But how hard would it be to just let her know? The nerve of him, to have her come all the way here, waste her time when she could be doing something like... like not using her magic, or reading or... well, what? Hanging out with En? It’s so frustrating, that he’s suddenly so busy and she’s suddenly so not and—
“Hey.”
Her eyes dart up, and all she sees is the underside of the table, so she shuffles to sit up and it’s Shin who catches her eye. Same burlap sack mask, same worn-out noose slung loosely around his neck.
Today though, he’s wearing a suit, something she hasn’t seen him in before. It’s ink black, probably fresh from dry cleaning.
Immediately, she can see it’s too big, even though he’s rolled up the sleeves probably a million times. It’s wide on his shoulders, suffocating his frame in a different way those big t-shirts do. With a slack hand, he pulls out his chair.
“You’re late,” She tries to sound a little mad as he sits, but she’s happy to see him. She hopes her mask can hide the excitement, the relief, the smile tugging at her lips.
“I got caught up with...” He drifts off, and unfortunately his expression is hidden just as well as hers. “Stuff.”
“Does ‘stuff’ have to do with your new suit?”
Shin chuckles, which Noi did not expect. She’s delighted. It’s hard pretending to be mad at him.
“Yeah.” Shin admits, putting an elbow on the table and resting his temple against his hand. “En had some issues about my clothes. Something about them not being fitting for the Family, I— I guess.” Shin pauses, and Noi can hear, if he were talking about anyone else, where the badmouthing would begin. “We’re getting my mask replaced soon too.”
It seemed like En’s fussing had really tired him out, seeing how easy he had opened up. Noi understands, but to a lesser extent. En, for the most part, had always done as she asked, because Noi didn’t ask for much.
She wore the clothes he bought for her, and let him perfectly braid her hair, and didn’t fight him when he needed her smoke, and in exchange, he left her alone about most things.
She’s sure Shin is working hard, adjusting to En’s rules about proper attire and table manners and party etiquette whatever inconsequential things that don’t matter when you’re dead in Hell.
“You look professional.” She says, because he does, and because that’s the best she can come up with.
He gives her the most unimpressed look he can muster, even with his mask on.
“I look like an idiot.” He shoves up his jacket’s baggy sleeve, since it’s falling already, struggling to stay up on his thin arms. “He gets all of his suits fitted, doesn’t he? Why is mine so huge?”
“He’s not going to buy you a suit that you’ll outgrow tomorrow.” Noi laughs, and before he can respond, the waiter is back setting bowls down in front of them.
While Noi takes off her mask and breaks her chopsticks, Shin hesitates, pointing a finger at her.
“You ordered already?”
“Yeah. Because you took so long.” She’s already started eating. “You’re paying today, for showing up late.”
“That’s fair.” Shin’s too exhausted to argue, taking off his mask and hanging it beside hers. When she brings her eyes back to look at him, Noi’s stomach flutters.
Shin’s hair isn’t tied back. It’s a little frizzy, like it didn’t have time to dry, and the ends are still damp, darker in color as it hangs freely against his face. Somehow, as she focuses on his clean face, she didn’t notice the dusting of freckles on the bridge of his nose until now. His cheeks are reddened, maybe from scrubbing, but he’s prim and proper, and as En would say, fitting for a Family member.
He looks rich. She wonders if she looks just as good.
Shin, probably tired of using his chopsticks, raises the bowl off the table and brings it to his lips. Noi slurps as she stares at his untouched neck and the little triangle of collarbone skin exposed thanks to his loose tie. A noodle’s deviant tail flicks broth towards her eye, and she winces.
He puts his bowl back on the table, and there’s nothing left inside, and Noi can only think; What? It’s been five minutes!
Shin looks at her with concern, but there isn’t enough worry to actually vocalize it.
She rubs her eye and blinks, and there’s nothing wrong, no film of garlicky soup clouding her vision. Swallowing quickly, she asks what’s been on her mind.
“Were you late because En made you take a bath?”
The way his eyebrows furrow means she’s hit the nail right on the head.
“No. I told you, he was making me try out suits and telling me about how bad my old clothes sucked or whatever, and—“ Shin shoves his hands in his pockets, looking uncomfortable because the space there is definitely less than his the ones in his scuffed-up denims. He sighs, leaning back in his chair. “He didn’t make me.”
Noi smiles, impishly wide. Cartoonishly, she imagines En shoving him into a bath full of bubbles while Shin holds onto the sides of the tub for dear life. Like washing a cat. Shin seems to be reading her thoughts, because his face gets a shade redder out of frustration. Or embarrassment. Or both.
“I just don’t see the point in getting all clean, working, and getting dirty again!”
Noi sips her broth, raising her bowl to her mouth like Shin had done before. “You’re working today?”
“After this.”
“Can I come?”
“Hell no.”
Noi’s shoulders slump, but she finishes her food, shoving the egg, pork, and mushrooms into her mouth before chewing with full cheeks. Shin watches, and it’s obvious he’s trying to not look amused.
The check is set between them, and Noi, forgetting her claim, pulls it her way. It’s like second nature, with him. Like all the other times, she reaches for her wallet, before Shin leans over the table and takes it right from under her.
She can smell soap on him, a smell that she can’t name but she knows is expensive— the warm linens and sea salt kind of smell. His wallet is out and she watches his stitched together fingers pull out a few bills, then place them down where her own cash would usually go.
It isn’t like it matters, who pays. Both of their money is coming from the same place, but he’s the one actually working for it. A week ago, there’s no way he would have paid for her meal. The gesture means something, but she’s not sure what.
“I’m sorry for being late,” He says, not needing to. Standing, he pushes in his chair and waits for her to rise as well. She rushes to her feet, with nowhere to go.
“It’s not that big of a deal. Just hang out with me again soon. And for longer.”
He pushes his mask over his head. “Tomorrow, then.”
Noi blinks. That’s fast, and she likes fast, but she hadn’t expected that fast.
“Okay! You’re not gonna get sick of this place?” She hears Shin breathe out another laugh, then shake his head. She hopes they aren’t bound to En’s Mediocre Ramen Shop forever.
She waves goodbye outside and he tips his head demurely, like he’s shy about it. He must be getting used to not dashing away after finishing an interaction. She watches his figure, taller than before, broader than before, clothed in the inky black suit and ratty old sneakers, walk off into the distance.
Noi wonders if the floaty feeling in her chest is thanks to a newfound lack of armor, or something else entirely.